S.C. lawmakers weigh changes to choosing education chief

COLUMBIA -- Whether to allow South Carolina voters to amend the constitution to empower the governor to choose the state superintendent of education remains under discussion.

“What this bill would do is really just give the governor the powers that most governors have,” said Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Charleston.

He said the current system stems from the 1895 constitution, which was aimed at limiting the governor’s power out of fear that an African American might be elected chief executive.

“It’s time to move beyond that and to vest with the chief executive the powers that a chief executive normally and traditionally has,” said Campsen, who also represents Beaufort County.

Backers of the bill, S. 53, raised various points, including the difficulty superintendent candidates have raising money and the notion that a state’s governor should have greater control over public education policy, which consumes nearly half the state budget.

Sen. John Scott, D-Richland, cast doubt that “this magic wand is going to change education for South Carolina.”

Campsen said 37 other states already allow the governor to appoint the state’s superintendent of education.

“You want to talk about the 37?” said Scott. “How bad are we really doing? What can we do better? Because I’m looking at all these other states that are not doing so great.”

The Senate did not vote on the legislation Tuesday.

In the November election, South Carolina voters opted to change the state constitution to make candidates for governor and lieutenant governor campaign for office as running mates on the same ticket.

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